IT'S ABOUT FEELING GOOD!

It is safe to say that “there is no one quite like you!” Your likes and dislikes, your interests, your tastes – even the way you clean your teeth in the morning! – are individual to you. This applies equally to all domains of your physical state, including:1. Nutrition2. Physical activity history and current activity levels3. Environmental and social influences4. Genetics5. Occupational and socioeconomic status6. Psychological health and wellness

The world in which we live today is highly focused on the first 5 domains. However, there is a wealth of research indicating that our emotional and mental patterning have a powerful influence on how we perceive our wellbeing, which in turn can lead to physical changes in our health state.

what is the mind-body connection?

The word “psychosomatic”, formed from the Greek words “psykhe” and “somatikos”, literally translates into “mind-body”, and describes how the connection between the body and mind heavily influence each other. This connection reflects the idea that your state of mind is reflected in the state of the body. No two minds are identical and therefore no two physical bodies will be exactly the same…not even identical twins! We all have different characteristics that stem from our genetics and our interactions with physical, social, and environmental factors, ultimately making our physical experiences unique.

a change for the positive

The concept of the mind-body connection suggests that our thoughts, emotions, and attitudes influence how physically healthy we are, how effectively we move, how healthy our day-to-day behaviours. And it works in reverse, too: changing your behaviours by engaging in regular exercise and healthy eating habits improves your mental health!

Here’s an overview of how this process can work:1. Understand your body: shape, size, abilities, strengths and weaknesses.Example: “I know I am a ‘pear shape’ and tend to carry weight around my hips.”

Which brings...2. Greater awareness of mental and emotional tendencies.Example: “Because of my pear shape, I am less likely to wear tight fitting bottoms because I think they make my hips look wide.”

Which leads to...3. A look into our own personality and why we do the things we do.Example: “I am actually stoping myself from wearing certain clothes as I am self conscious about this and it is repetitively making me feel negative towards my shape.”

Which sparks...4. A change in our attitudes, behaviours, and actions.Example: “To make myself feel better and stop these negative thoughts, I am going to do something about it. I will set health-related (rather than image-related) goals to help me achieve my ultimate goals: positive self-esteem, self-worth, and self-respect.”

YOU ARE TELLING US MORE THAN YOU THINK!

As Corrective Exercise Practitioners and Exercise Physiologist, we are trained to observe and help you improve your posture, muscle imbalances, range of motion, and your movement patterns. Through these observations over time, your quality of movement give us clues about how you are feeling! To the trained eye, this is what your body can tell us:

what should i do to balance my body?

The way you treat your body can have an incredible impact on your overall sense of wellbeing. The body has its own natural rhythms, cycles, and processes that are designed to maintain healthy function and homeostasis. This includes the natural cycles and circadian rhythms that influence your sleep, diet, and exercise. However, just as it is important to do good things for your body, it is essential that you are thinking good things, too! Positive thinking is associated with decreased stress, increased sense of happiness, greater self-esteem, positive body image, and improved confidence, just to name a few.

DIET

A fundamental rule when it comes to your consumption of food is ensuring that you feel good about why you are eating, what you are eating, and when you are eating it. Emotional eating is the exact opposite of this. When you are stressed or feeling down, you might reach for “comfort foods” to help you feel better. Eating these foods – often high in sugar, fat, or salt – gives a short-term boost to the reward and pleasure centres in your brain, but what follows shortly after is a longer-lasting hollow feeling of regret and disappointment.

SLEEP

Lack of sleep can lead to a whole host of undesirable physical and mental conditions, including poor concentration, increased anxiety, digestive problems, and depression. Undertaking some form of relaxation before going to sleep – yoga, meditation, reading a book – can draw your mind out of the fast-paced world we live in, and more in touch with your body and mind before you sleep.

EXERCISE

Physical activity kick-starts your metabolism, stimulates the release of endorphins (our “happiness” hormones), strengthens and conditions your body, and focuses our mind on our physical selves. It is very important to vary your exercises periodically, and to choose activities that you enjoy in order to stimulate your mind and promote positive feelings about physical activity. Another tool to promote a stronger positive association with exercise is to get outside in a natural and relaxing environment – who doesn’t enjoy being out in the sun and breathing in fresh air? You can also incorporate activities that strengthen your mind-body connection, such as Tai Chi, yoga, or Pilates. The common philosophy shared by these movement styles is the notion of the mind and body being a single force.

THINK POSITIVELY TO FEEL GOOD

A great example of how the mind can impact the wellbeing of the body can been seen with Norman Cousins, a former adjunct professor in the School of Medicine at UCLA, who was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given 3 months to live. Norman quit his job and went and did exactly what he wanted for the next 3 months: watch episode after episode of M.A.S.H. With the help of his laughing therapy, he was able to live for years beyond his 3-month prognosis! Norman went on to write a book about his experiences, “Anatomy of an Illness”, and actively promote the idea that a positive frame of mind can significantly improve the health status of the body. And this isn’t a one-off story.

If you are ever in doubt about how you should feel, just come into the gym and read our shirts:

The beneficial effect of exercise for your physical health is well-established. But did you know that regular exercise also has enormous benefits to your mental wellbeing? Research in the medical literature demonstrates the overwhelming benefit of exercise for your mental health, including improving depression symptoms, increasing relaxation, and preventing cognitive decline. The following infographic highlights the value of exercise in establishing long-term mental wellbeing: